Verbena plant named ‘Shauna Ann’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of Verbena named ‘Shauna Ann’ as characterized by its hardiness in Zone 4 combined with lavender-pink fragrant flowers, finely incised foliage, and a compact growth habit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of aninterspecific Verbena hybrid and will be referred to hereafter by thecultivar name ‘Shauna Ann’, ‘Shauna Ann’ represents a new hardy Verbena,a perennial grown for landscape use.

The new cultivar was discovered by the inventor; in a garden in Laurel,Iowa in 1987. ‘Shauna Ann’ was selected from plants grown from seedcollected from Verbena canadensis plants. It was chosen as unique forits combined qualities of foliage, habit, flower color and fragrance,and hardiness. Hardiness was a substantial selection factor as itsurvived and thrived under Zone 4 garden locations for ten years.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar, using cuttings, was firstaccomplished by the inventor at Swift Greenhouses in Gilman, Iowa in Mayof 1998. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to bestable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish this cultivar from other commercial varieties.

1. ‘Shauna Ann’ is hardly in Zone 4. Verbena canadensis is short-livedin Zone 5 and there are no commercially grown Verbenas that are known tobe hardy in Zone 4. Most are hardy to Zone 9.

2. ‘Shauna Ann’ has fragrant, lavender-pink flowers.

3. ‘Shauna Ann’ has a compact growth habit, reaching a height of 12 to15 cm and a spread of 38 to 45 cm. Typically, Garden Verbena cultivarshave spreads of 60 to 100 cm.

4. ‘Shauna Ann’ has more finely incised foliage than typical for Verbenacanadensis and cultivars such as Verbena canadensis‘Homestead Purple’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph is of a 5 month old plant produced by growing threerooted cuttings in a one gallon container for 20 weeks under greenhouseconditions in Chalfont, Pa. The foliage and habit are well depicted inthe photograph. The flower color is as close as reasonably possible byconventional photography.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as grown ina one-gallon container for 5 months under greenhouse conditions. Generalcharacteristics of the new cultivar were recorded after observing plantsunder garden conditions for 2 years in Chalfont, Pa. Phenotypicdifferences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical classification: ‘Shauna Ann’ is an interspecific hybrid ofVerbena of unknown parentage. Verbena canadensis is a likely parentbecause of its hardiness (Zone 5) and because it was derived from a seedpackage labeled as such. The finely divided leaves, the longevity of theplant and its dense plant habit are uncharacteristic of Verbenacanadensis. These characteristics are more indicative of selections ofVerbena×hybrida and Verbena teniusecta that are only hardy to Zone 9,therefore indicating an interspecific origin.

Commercial classification: Garden Verbena

General characteristics:

Blooming period.—May or June to frost; dependent on environmentalconditions.

Plant habit.—Low spreading, good basal branching, deliquescent(irregular).

Plant height.—12-15 cm.

Plant spread.—38-45 cm.

Hardiness.—Zone 4.

Type.—Perennial herb.

Root system.—Fibrous.

Fragrance.—Strongly fragrant (hyacinth-like).

Propagation.—Stem cuttings.

Resistance.—No unusual susceptibility or resistance to pests and insectsknown to date.

Stems:

Shape.—Tetragonal.

Color.—146B with purple overlay (187A) on mature stems.

Size.—2 mm on average (Peduncle 1.5 mm).

Internodes.—1-1.8 cm.

Surface.—Sericeous (long, soft, appressed, non-glandular hairs).

Leaves:

Arrangement.—Decussate.

Type.—Simple.

Shape.—Ovate.

Base.—Cuneate.

Tip.—Acuminate.

Venation.—Not prominent.

Margins.—Parted, typically tripartate (further incised).

Attachment.—Petiolate.

Surface.—Sericeous (sparsely).

Color.—Upper surface 137B, Lower Surface 138B.

Size.—Up to 4.5 cm in length, 2.8 cm in width.

Inflorescence:

Type.—Indeterminant.

Form.—Corymb.

Perianth.—Salverform.

Corolla.—Zygomorphic, sympetalous, 5 lobed; 3 lobes are 6-7 mm in lengthwith single notch, 3-5.5 mm in width, 2 lobes are 6-7 mm in length (nonotch), 2.5-3 mm in width, Color is 78A (fades to 78C).

Calyx.—Gamosepalous, 8 mm long, 1 mm wide, color is 146B.

Reproductive organs.—4 stamens (didynamous, included, adnate to petals),1 style with superior ovary.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER CULTIVARS

The new cultivar ‘Shauna Ann’ is hardier than any Garden Verbena knownto the inventor in commerce. The cultivar Verbena×‘Taylor Town Red’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,270) is hardy to Zone 6, however most cultivarshave a rating to Zone 9. Both ‘Taylor Town Red’ and Verbena canadensis‘Homestead Purple’ (unpatented) are not as compact, have less finelydivided leaves, and a pubescent surface to the leaves. Verbenacanadensis does not have longevity and is a short-lived perennial undermost conditions and spreads to 60 cm. Verbena× ‘Shauna Ann’ also differsfrom the hybrid cultivars that are grown as ground cover types. They cantypically spread to 90 cm with a trailing growth habit, whereas thespread of ‘Shauna Ann’ is under 45 cm and has a compact growth habitunder the conditions that it has been tested.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘ShaunaAnn’ as described and illustrated.